Unearthing Veracity
by Broken Blackk Dahlia
Summary: A unique survivor encounters Seto and Ren a year post-game, loitering around the post-apocalyptic world alone. After befriending a small cat, she learns of Crow and sets out to see if she could restore the fallen boy. It is there, that a strange revelation is made; Crow isn't really as he seems to be. Post-game. Spoilers. Crow/OC. T for violence and language, etc.
1. Chapter 1

**1.**

Seto sighed as he plopped down in front of a campfire, poking at it with a stick. A stack of mystery items sat at his side, threatening to tip over, his pack a short ways away. A bag he had found for Ren was, too, nearby. It was packed with trinkets, spare articles of clothing, and cat things that the silver-haired girl had picked up in their travels.

The teen had lost track of how long it had been since everything ended, all of the Glass Cage business. Since Crow died in the dam, Sai disappeared with Shin when the Glass Cage AI mainframe was tossed, and Ren was left travelling with him. It all flitted by so quicklyr. Coming across the occasional survivor and setting them in the right direction was what they did, finding them things to help start their new life, hoping to rebuild the fallen world.

It was unlikely to happen within his lifetime, but Seto indeed tried.

Ren had been telling him about a year had passed since all became calm, but he still wasn't sure. It felt like mere days had gone by, not a _year_. An entire four-season transition had gone by at the very least, he had told himself over and over. Still, it felt like last week he was making his way across the top of the dam with Sai, just to see his mysterious silver-haired girl drop in an elevator. Then proceeded to witness his best friend's batteries die, battle Shin on the red tower and watch as said man disappeared with Sai.

The silver-haired girl walked back to their camp, a bundle of twigs in her arms with the white cat trailing at her heels; Shiro was the name they had decided on for the feline friend. Several more loitered around them as they did the usual for their camp.

Seto always started the fire with what kindling he could get, while Ren searched for twigs to keep the fire going until the former could find and break down branches to keep the blaze going into the dark hours.

It had gotten monotonous to them, but it was almost customary. Such a habit. When they encountered inhabitable buildings, it felt odd not sitting in the open, poking at the flames and snuggling to keep warm throughout the night, long after the fire would die out.

Of the late, the pair had been backtracking. Going back to the old underground mall and Lunar Hill Funland Amusement Park. Just to revisit memories and to honor their old friends' existences. Maybe even scour the storage rooms for any remaining trinkets and items that may be of any value or contain the owners' last thoughts.

Ren began preparing their dinner, throwing together various vegetables and shredded bits of dried beef in a pot of rainwater to stew over the next hour or so. She was wearing a dress he had found, and tailored, for her in the old hotel and a pair of brown suede boots the chicken-headed merchant had found and sold.

Suddenly, a crow's cry filled the air and violet-blue eyes set on a few circling in the nearby forest. It was a casual occurrence, as well as other birds' cries. The world was slowly bringing itself back from the fall, more and more wildlife rising from whatever pits they'd taken refuge in.

It also meant more enemies, more living beings to cut down when threatened. What a lovely thought. The brunette cringed at it. He'd had to hack through packs of the rabid animals, protecting Ren all the while, to get to some kind of vantage point, some form of refuge, and it was horrible.

Out of nowhere, an arrow pierced one of the birds and down it went. Seto's eyes widened.

_A survivor is out there!_

He shot to his feet when a female yell came from the general direction the crow had been shot down from. Picking up his katana, he readied himself for the worst as he crept towards the sound's origin, heartbeat increasing. Quickly telling Ren to stay there and keep quiet, he continued on silently, pushing through the brush.

**...**

A teen stumbled over a cat that purred at her feet and mewled hungrily. The small animal had been following her for almost a mile because she'd stopped to pet it and picked it up, feeding it the last of her tuna. She figured there would be an easy kill along the way, but so far there was no luck. Her stomach growled emptily, having not eaten since the previous night, the hunger was getting to her.

Despite the sharp feeling not being uncommon for the wandering girl, it was still a nuisance to her as well as something that was crucial to sate at some point. In her travels, she sometimes went days without food. Only graciously guzzling what water she could come across in the spans of time.

The reason for starvation was the areas she travelled lacking in prey to shoot, roast to a crisp, and devour. Yes, there were plants. The dilemma was the fact that she didn't know what was safe and what wasn't. A leaf from some foreign and edible looking plant could be the death of her if she wasn't careful.

"Cat, I don't have any more tuna! I'm sorry, you're freaking adorable as all hell, but I can't find anything to eat..." the raven sighed, looking up at the darkening sky. Taking off her black top hat, tenne eyes set on the moon. It shone brightly, illuminating the area, even through the gray clouds dotting the sky. They seemed almost translucent to the moon's vibrant shine.

Earlier in the day, it had been raining, just as it had been for the past week. Plants collected droplets of water, cool and tempting to wandering orange eyes. Thoughts of an earlier trek through water took over the satisfying thought of drinking it.

She had sloshed through a ravine that had filled with cool running, murky water and it left her red and black pinstriped pants drenched, as well as her underthings, the tails of her dress shirt, and vest. She had to stop to empty out her half-laced, worn boots and wring out crudely mended black socks just minutes after she got out; the squishing and waterlogged feel was unbearable.

The cat meowed and rubbed against the leather of her boot, looking up with affectionate amber eyes. It smushed its face against the surface again, nearly falling over.

"You're too cute..." she said with a light laugh. Replacing her hat, a crow's cry could be heard from above.

Stealing a glance up, several of the cryptic birds circled overhead. The teen got an idea, and a toothy smirk stole her expression. Jagged crowns of teeth looked menacing, having been chipped and ground by the girl's habit of jaw grinding and the unfortunate follies of violence.

Taking hold of the string that crossed her chest, she lifted a bow that always took refuge atop the black rucksack that covered her back. She slid it over the red-feathered arrows that protruded from the black leather bag and smoothed a hand over the bow's worn rosewood frame.

Nocking an arrow as the cat continued its mantra of sounds, she took aim at one of the birds. In an instant, her left knuckles brushed her cheek, before spidery fingers released the string. The arrow whistled through the air, followed by wisps of blood, and struck the crow dead in its chest. It let out a dying croak as it plummeted, its comrades fleeing in a flurry of feathers.

Blood oozed and ran from the bright red patches and slits of ripped away skin on the girl's fingers, but she paid it almost no mind. After recently losing her archers' three-fingered gloves, she had to put up with huge blood blisters and skinned fingers if she were to hunt and defend herself.

Giving an excited and triumphant yell, the teen replaced the bow over her chest and picked up the small cat that followed her, figuring she could share her catch with it. Limberly bounding over to where her prey fell, she saw the red canary feathers that identified her arrows. The red was the same as the band on her top hat and the steadily wilting rose that was under it.

The dark tabby purred as the girl picked up the skewered bird and examined it the best she could in the moonlight. Blood ran down the arrow and the bird's expression was somber. Its death was instantaneous, she figured. The spinal cord of the small winged being was probably severed by the lanceolate arrowhead that protruded from its back, chipped from previous use.

"Fuck yeah!" she grinned, looking to the tiny cat as it climbed onto her shoulder and perched its hind legs on the top of her rucksack, front ones on her shoulder. Pink nose sniffing at it, the cat meowed again.

This was the first time the girl had success with hunting in several days - she had to live off of the greens in the general area which wasn't her favorite. Meat filled her stomach far faster. Maybe this little cat was a good luck charm, sent by the deity of cats.

Snorting at the thought, she plucked a pitch feather from the crow and looked at the smooth strands. The crows out there were surprisingly well kept, for birds that lived off of carnage. Ones in other regions she'd roamed were mangy and unkempt, looking half dead in their living state. They were really the epitome of death, other than the Grim Reaper himself.

Rustling bushes tore the teen from her thoughts. Whispering an apology to the small cat on her shoulder who mewled in response, she slipped her bow over the feline and off her shoulder. Drawing an arrow and nocking it, she dared to call out, "Who's there?"

It echoed, then a brown-haired boy emerged from the brush and she drew back out of instinct, arm quivering. "I-I mean no harm!" he stuttered, holding up a hand. In the other was a blue-hilted katana. Its blade had a faint glow, much like that of the moonlight.

Tenne eyes narrowed then snapped once more. "...I trust you... What's your name?" she questioned, looking over the boy as she lowered her bow, moving to replace the arrow in her rucksack and slide the bow back over her shoulder.

"S...Seto.." he managed timidly, sheathing his katana. He looked at the strange top hat-wearing girl as she picked up a discarded arrow that pierced a crow, the same one he saw shot out of the dark sky. "Are you... a survivor?"

Her eyebrows raised. "Am I a survivor? Yeah. Do I look dead or something?" she said humorously. She slid the arrow through a loop on the side of her bag and let the lifeless bird rest against the leather side. The tabby mewled and switched sides, awkwardly squeezing under the bow to smell the crow again.

Turning awkwardly, the girl tapped the cat's forehead lightly with her finger. "No, kitty. Gotta wait until I get a fire going to cook it." she warned the feline, making eye contact. Orange on amber, both with slit pupils. It meowed and complied, resting comfortably on her shoulder.

"No! Of course not... I was just wondering." Seto murmured. "I've encountered far too many spirits to be sure without asking... Either that or they're nearly-dead AIs..."

She sighed. "So you travel a lot, huh? It's about all you can do nowadays." she said hushedly, face twisting in thought. It was all she had done for several years, by then. Five, if she hadn't lost count. Five years since her father, the last of her family, died.

Seto hummed his agreement. "Do you... Do you want to come back to the camp my friend and I have? You can warm up and get some rest."

That surprised the girl. "Ah... sure." She glanced at the skewered crow, then to her drenched attire. Petting the tabby's head, she moved over to the boy before her.

He turned and began walking, leading her to the camp. "So... why are you all wet?" he asked, curious to know why the girl was soaked and wandering this late. No one in their right mind would be out in that weather while even damp. The temperature had been dropping steadily in the past weeks, transitioning into the fall months.

"I crossed a ravine that was full of water. It's a few miles back that way." she said, gesturing over her shoulder with her thumb.

"Oh wow... Why?"

"I was trying to get back out here. I'd been wandering south for awhile, but came back this way because it's getting colder. I know my way around these parts much better than the even more rural areas, and I wouldn't want to get lost once it starts snowing." she said with a sigh, following Seto until a clearing opened up. She stopped and laughed, realising her lack of manners. "How rude of me not to introduce myself. My name's Kaede."

"Nice to meet you, Kaede." the boy said with a smile. She gave a mock bow in return, gasping when the cat on her shoulder slipped.

Kaede barely caught the tabby when it fell from her shoulder. Holding it to her chest, she stroked its back and murmured reassuringly to it, calming its frantic meows.

Ren looked over at the mysterious new girl, then to Seto. She motioned for him to come over as she stood. "Who is that?" she asked quietly, looking from her friend to the stranger who was comforting a small cat.

Shiro sauntered over to the raven-haired girl and sniffed her, before rubbing against her leg. She knelt and pet its head, before rising again. Hesitantly, she walked to the roaring campfire and eyed Ren, before slipping off her bow and rucksack and set them down slowly.

Slipping off the dark underbust vest she wore, nimble bloodied hands wrung out the fabric. She laid it out on her bag and sat down cross-legged, sighing in relief. Mid-back length pitch hair fell straight, thick against her back. The tabby cat hopped out of her hands and laid down by her foot, curling up.

"Kaede... She's a survivor." Seto said reassuringly to the silver-haired girl. "She's already a friend, I can tell." Smiling, he bravely pecked Ren on the cheek, before making his way to the fire. He sat down and struck up conversation with the girl as she plucked feathers from the crow she had shot.

Ren joined moments later, finding herself liking this girl. She was very catlike, in both personality and movements. Earlier,when she walked up, this feline kind of elegance was about the easy movements. It was like Kaede was a cat trapped in a teenager's body.

The three talked, exchanging tales. Kaede rambled about her childhood and her mechanist father, how she learned archery on her own, and picked up acrobatics a few years back. Her getup was based off of an old picture she saw of a fashion called 'steampunk.' That, and the 'emo' scene influenced her appearance.

Seto and Ren couldn't help but sympathise and relate when she spoke of the abandonment that occurred so much in her life. Both of them understood the feeling. The last of her family died when she was ten, and since then she'd been making her way on her own. Seto could especially relate; the old man, who took care of him from the time he was born, died and he was left with nothing. He had to move on, just as she had.

Once she finished explaining her side of things and her bird was well cooked, the pair before her took initiative to explain the life changing events that went about around a year before.

The brown-haired boy explained the majority of it, Ren pitching in things that happened in between events. The mall and PF, the Merchant, Crow and Lunar Hill Funland, Sai and Kankou hotel, and all of the following events. The tunnels, the dam, and the Glass Cage Project. Finishing it off, was Seto's battle with Shin.

"Wow..." Kaede hummed in the end, stroking the tabby cat that laid in her lap. The white dress shirt she wore dried out considerably, as well as her vest and pants. "That's unbelievable. It really happened?"

Ren nodded. "All because Seto touched me."

It sounded odd, but it was understandable in a way. Though it seemed kind of annoying, how persistent Seto was about finding a silver-haired girl that had ran off because he touched her. It was kind of cute at the same time, she had to admit. They were quite the couple.

Making a face, Kaede thought. "What about that Crow-boy?" she asked. "If he's one of those DOLL things, or whatever you said... I might be able to fix him."

"You think so?" Seto asked. It was thrilling to think that his best friend might be able to come back... but he couldn't get his hopes up. He didn't know this girl very well, after all.

"Of course." she put her hands on her knees, elbows up as she hunched. "Tell me how to get to the dam and I'll figure out the rest."

* * *

**Sorry if this was bad, or whatever. I tried. x] I'm just in love with Fragile Dreams, though. Cry is playing it on youtube, and it's just. SAsdfghjkjhgfdsdf. Amazing.  
****This is the end of the DeviantART URL for Kaede's profile: /art/Kaede-Fragile-Dreams-OC-356079661 Feel free to check it out. :3  
Thanks for reading, I'll try to get more out soon~- Broken Blackk Dahlia**


	2. Chapter 2

**Sorry for the wait guys, I just spaced out. My interests jump like crazy. ;-; But still. Also, this will have a twist, a revelation if you will. It's strange, but I had an idea about Crow when I first saw him, as well as read a fic where someone had the same idea. And so, I've twisted this (or rather, the next chapter or two) to that idea. Also, this is short and probably really bad - I put together the basic line of it in classes today. It's just a tidbit from Kaede's voyage to the dam. The next will be after a timeskip.**

**Without further ado, the fairly short chapter~**

* * *

**2.**

"Shut up." Kaede grumbled as she walked along a dirt path, picking past overgrowth and various abandoned items. The kitten followed closely, mewling when the ravenette would curse aloud or say something into the silence.

_**"Make me."**_

"If you weren't in my head, I would." She kicked a rock and watched it tumble, kicking up a bit of mud and uprooting grass. The ground was disgustingly soft everywhere she'd been so far, after the previous day's rain storm. The amusement park's rides were slightly sunken into the slushy ground, and it was about the same, if not worse, behind the place.

Her brow furrowed in concern when the kitten's mewl was strained and distant. Turning, she saw the feline had gotten stuck in one of the girl's deeply sunken footprints. With a sigh, she jogged back to the cat and picked her up, briefly kissing the top of its head. "Sorry, kitty." she murmured, and the cat mewled once more.

_**"You still haven't named her... It might be a smart move. If you lose track of her while you're walking, you can just yell."**_

"You're right about that, " she said with a slight nod, picking up the pace again. She'd just left Lunar Hill Funland. Her poor kitten nearly got mauled by one of the massive dogs in the field. In turn, Kaede had given the beast a taste of dirty leather and an arrow through one of its glowing eyes.

She looked to the cat, who, again, mewled to her. She stroked the top of its head and smiled. Pressing onward, she pushed through an overgrown bush and stumbled, a large building coming into view soon after.

"I believe we're coming upon our destination, kitty." she murmured, absent-mindedly patting its head.

_**"You still need to name it - don't let it slip your mind, Kaede."**_ the voice reminded her. She could almost hear him narrowing his eyes at her.

"Hush, I still need to think about it, Zero."

With that, she pushed through the brush and slowly made her way to the massive, run-down and overgrown establishment. It was a hotel, the very one Seto had explained to her. The same one he found his ghost-friend, Sai, in.

Carefully, with the nameless kitten following at her heels, Kaede picked her way around the hotel. She poked at boards and pushed plants aside, crunching through them haphazardly; if she'd had a blade, they would've been not-quite-swiftly hacked out of her path. Though she would feel minor guilt over it, they would surely return to their overgrown state.

After a bit, she got fed up and let out a curse.

"Damn it, aren't there any doors that haven't collapsed?!" she asked no one in particular. Tenne eyes flickered. The second floor windows and balconies could be the way to go - but how could she get up there? The trellis, overgrown with crawling vines and dying flowers, could have been optable... but it could collapse.

Preceded by a sigh, the voice in her head spoke again; _**"If I separate, I could take a look around for you."**_ it said, sounding calm and almost disinterested.

"You don't sound like you want to help, though; if you don't want to, don't offer it." Kaede said plainly. Her eyes shut, and the image of Zero, spiderweb-tattooed chest and all, appeared in her mind's eye. He snorted and made indirect eye contact with his chain-bound partner. His bright, equally-orange eyes locked with the orange glow of her mind's eye.

_**"If I have to live with your bitching, and you live with mine, I should at least be able to help."**_ he rumbled, folding his wiry-muscled arms over his chest.

Just as Kaede was about to spout a response, Zero lunged - though it would do the material girl no good - with wide catlike eyes. _**"Kaede - turn around!"**_

In a flash, her eyes opened and her bow was simultaneously pulled from over her shoulder, already strung. She took an arrow in two fingers, guiding her thumb over the red canary feathers, and nocked it. Three phantom birds hung overhead, squawking. "How did you know?" she asked, shooting one. It hit, and dropped to the softened earth with an audible thud, the bird dissipating to almost a sandy-blue smoke.

_**"Enhanced sensory. You should know this - now, move!"**_

"Fuck everything!" Kaede hissed, barely missing one of the birds darting at her. She shot another arrow, and another. The remaining birds dropped, just as two more flew up. They circled and sent calls to one another.

Zero shot her a command, to which she replied with a silent curse. "Shut yourself up and let me do my thing. You're in my mind after a- HEY!" She was cut short by one of the birds diving on her. A red mark was in the place where it struck. Blood began to surface from the stinging, broken skin. "You little piece of shit!" she spat, nocking another arrow. The string was pulled back and released, tenne orbs watching as the arrow split the air and took out the bird in an instant.

The avian dropped, its friend following soon after.

Kaede scowled and paced, a hand coming up to the skin on her collar. Blood had filled in and began to run towards the low v-collar of her tight-fitting button-up.

Her attention, then, turned to the cat -_ it was nowhere to be seen._

She cursed again, kicking up a cluster of weeds. _**"I told you..." **_the voice of Zero echoed. _**"She must have ran off when the birds attacked. I'll separate and take a look-"**_

"Zero, explain to me this; how would that work?" the ravenette asked in a calm fashion, yet her tone was demanding and almost intimidating. Her eyes blinked rapidly as she fought back tears. "You can't 'separate.' Thanks to you, we're bound together when you're manifested."

In a grimace, she went on a tirade; "The cat gives me a sense of meaning, and something more than a voice in my head and a bag of things. I walk alone, with you in my head, and this damned bag. My sister died and her ghost's ran off... Dad's been gone for years... I thought, since that little furball was a stray, I could take care of it and protect it... it's so small, like me..." Dirtied, scabbed hands raked through raven locks. "...and I've failed."

In her mind's sight, she could see Zero sitting in shock; his mouth was agape and he was at loss for words. _**"Kaede... As long as we're stuck together, you won't 'walk alone.' We'll bitch and moan, but we've got to keep going."**_ The tall boy floated in an expanse of darkness. _**"Now, let's go find-"**_

The echo in his voice cut off, and Kaede felt his physical manifestation come to life behind her. A cold chain manifested from the shadows in the crevices of her shirt and encircled her throat for a moment. "- this cat of yours." _His voice was out of her head, and in the real world._ A warm, black-nailed hand brushed her shoulder.

As soon as the presence had manifested, it was gone. He vanished into a black smoke and reappeared in her head. This time, the hollow rattle of a chain could be heard.

"Alright." she sighed, reluctantly trudging to the front door of the hotel. She would, probably futilely, attempt to kick down the rotting door, overgrown and bound in place by vines.


End file.
